Compression ring crimp connectors



.- June 25, 1968 a. E. sHLEslNGER, JR 3,390,227

y COMPRESSION RING CRIMP CONNECTORS June 25, 1968 a. E. SHN-:SINGER JR 3,390,227

COMPRESSION RING CRTMP CONNECTORS Filed Sept. 16, 1965 n' 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Il m June 25, 1968 a. E. SHLESINGER, .1R 3,390,227

COMPRESSION RING CRIME CONNECTORS 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 16, 1965 United States Patent O 3,39ll,227 COMPRESSION RING CRIMP CONNECTORS Bernard Edward Shlesinger, Jr., Annandale, Va., assigner to AMP Incorporated, Harrisburg, Pa. Filed Sept. 16, 1965, Ser. No. 487,673 12 Claims. (Cl. 174-54) This invention relates tosolderless connectors and more specifically to crimp type connectors in which a compression ring forces a piercing member vthrough insulation on a pair of wires to make electrical contact between them.

In the prior art, crimp type connections have been made with some ditiiculty where sealing against moisture at the point of contact is required- In the early development of this art, sealing was done by means of a pair of cooperating threaded sleeves having cam surfaces therein which forced the piercing members downwardly through the insulation into engagement with the conductor in the wires. Gaskets and the like were employed to prevent moisture from getting into the connection made by the cam surfaces operating on the piercing conductor member.

It is an object of this invention to provide a sealed connection which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Yet a further object of this invention is to provide a connector for wires and the like which may be installed rapidly and without the use of a soldering iron.

Yet a further object of this invention is to provide a solderless connector which may be installed easily by means of a hand tool.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a connector in which a plurality of leads are electrically connected simultaneously.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a connector which will maintain a good positive contact at all times and under a great variation of physical conditions.

Yet a further object of this invention is to provide a connector for insulated leads which takes up a minimum of space.

Another object of this invention is to provide a multiple connector which maintains a positive connection at all times and which will not be readily removed upon tension being applied to the wire.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide a connector for wires which requires a minimum of installation time and a maximum .of operating efiiciency.

Summary In general, this invention deals with a connector having a non-conductive deformable casing in which there is located at least a single passage or hole into which leads or wires are inserted. About the casing is a ring member which is deformed by means of a crimping tool so that the ring size is reduced thereby compressing the material of the casing to force a piercing member through the insulation of the wire leads thus forming an electrical connection between the wire leads.

These objects and -others will be apparent from the following description of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE l is a cross sectional view of one embodiment of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a cross sectional view similar to FIGURE l showing wire leads inserted into the connector;

FIGURE 3 is a cross sectional view of the embodiment of FIGURES l and 2 showing the installation of leads subsequent to the crimping operation;

FIGURE 4 is a cross sectional View showing a further embodiment of this invention;

FIGURE 5 is a cross sectional view of another embodiment taken along the lines 5 5 of FIGURE 7 and viewed in the direction ofthe arrows; Y

3,390,227 Patented .lune 25, 1968 FIGURE 6 is a cross sectional view similar to FIGURE 5 but showing the connection made after compression of the ring;

FIGURE 7 is a cross sectional View along lines 7 7 of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 8 is a cross sectional view illustrating a further embodiment of this invention;

FIGURES 9, 10 and 1l illustrate in cross sectional a method of assembly utilizing another embodiment of this lnvention;

FIGURE 12 is a cross sectional view of the connector when placed in shaping dies;

FIGURE 13 shows in cross section the results of the shaping dies used in FIGURE l2;

FIGURES 14 and 15 illustrate in cross section an elliptical configuration prior to and after crimping to a circular configuration;

FIGURES 16 and l7 are cross sectional views showing the before and after crimping stages;

FIGURE 18 is a cross sectional View taken along the lines I8-18 and viewed in the direction of the arrows in FIGURE 16;

FIGURES 19, 20 and 2l are cross sectional views illustrating three additional embodiments of this invention;

FIGURE 22 is a perspective view with a portion shown in dotted lines of a further embodiment of this invention;

FIGURE 23 is a cross sectional view taken along the lines 23-23 and viewed in the direction of the arrows in FIGURE 24;

FIGURE 24 is a cross sectional View illustrating the embodiment shown in FIGURES 22 and 23.

FIGURES l through 4 In the embodiment shown in FIGURES 1 through 4, a sleeve 10 is provided preferably having a relatively thin wall thickness. The sleeve or casing 1G must be of a nonconductive type material so as to insulate the conductor 12 which is positioned within the sleeve in an opening I4 extending the length of the sleeve. The overall length of the conductor 12 is shorter than the sleeve 1li. The sleeve 10 is provided with flange portions 16 and 1S which serve as positioning stops for the conductor 1.2. It is to be noted that the conductor l2 as illustrated in FIGURES l through 4 is a coil having a triangular. cross section as best illustrated in FIGURE 2. The apex of the triangle extends radially inwardly so as to provide a piercing, cutting edge for the purpose of cutting through the insulation 2G and 22 of the leads or wires 24 and 26. The iianges or shoulders I6 and 13 are approximately the same Width as the thickness of the conductive material used in the coil or conductor 12, This enables the leads 24 and 26 to be easily inserted into the sleeve 10 and into the opening or bore 14.

Encircling the sleeve 1li at either end are Compression rings .2,8 and 30. The compression rings 28 and 30 are of a harder material than the non-conductive material of the sleeve 10. The compression rings 28 and 30 which are deformable may be made from metal such as copper, aluminum, brass, steel, or plas-tic. The sleeve It) may be of wood, plastic, or certain deformable types of glass. It is essential that both the sleeve It) and the rings 28 and Sti be deformable.

The width of the coiled material at the base of the cross sectional triangular configuration should be relatively great in order to prevent the helices of the coil from tipping over when compression forces are applied to the compression rings 23 and 38. This insures that the knife or biting edge 32 of the coil or conductor 12 will bite through the insulation 2li and 22.

As noted in FIGURES l through 3, the ring members 23 and 3Q sit in slight annular grooves 34 and 36 so that they will not slide off the ends of the sleeve lll prior to installation. The grooves 34 and 36 need not be very deep but sutiicient to permit the ring members 28 and 30 to be slipped over the ends of the sleeve for positioning thereon.

FIGURE 4 differs slightly from FIGURES 1 through 3 in that instead or" having a pair of ring members 28 and 30, there is provided a single ring member 40. The single ring member 4@ is slipped over the sleeve 16:1 in the manner heretofore described so as to be received in a slight recess 41.

OPERATION FIGURES 1 through 4 When the wires 24 and 26 are inserted into the sleeves 1) and Illa a crimping tool which reduces the diameter of the rings 28, 3@ and 40 is applied and the rings are then reduced to a smaller diameter than initially when the leads and wires 24, and 26 were installed into the plug sleeve 10. The force of the crimp on the rings 23, and 40, deforms these rings and further deforms the sleeves 10 and 16a in the area of the rings 28, 3i) and 40. The deformation is such as to reduce the size of the opening or hole in the sleeve 10 and thus to cause the non-conduetive material backing the ring members 28, 30 and 4i) to exert a pressure on the coil of 12 thereby forcing the cutting edge of the coil 12 through the insulation of the leads 24 and 26, and into biting engagement with the wire conductor 24 and 26 so as to cause an electrical circuit to be made between the two conductors 24 and 26. The conductor 12 is the junction between the two conductors 24 and 26.

It will be obvious that different types of leads and wires may require different sizes and shapes of sleeves 1G thus requiring a Whole series of crimp type conductors to handle various types of line.

Once the ring members 28, 30 and 4@ are reduced in diameter by means of a compression ring tool or by means of swaging dies or the like, a seal forms such as seals 42 and 44 about the opening 14 in the sleeve 10. The ange portions 16 and 18 press into the insulation 26 and 22. Since the insulation is usually of plastic material and since in most instances, the sleeve 10 will be made of some plastic material such as nylon or the like, a good waterproof seal will be formed in this area. Since the rings 28, 3i), and 4t), are of materials having no memory, and since the material of the sleeve lll can be such as to have little relaxation properties, the knife edge of the coil 12 will be maintained in constant pressure contact with the wires 24 and 26. This will also be particularly true since there will be some lateral displacement of certain portions of the coil when it is compressed beneath the rings 28, 30, and 40.

FIGURES 5, 6, and 7 The embodiment shown in FIGURES 5, 6, and 7 include a casing member similar to member 10 in FIG- URES 1 through 3 and a ring member 52 similar to the ring Amembers previously referred to as for example the ring member 40. Within the lbody member 5t) is an opening 54 for receiving a wire 56 including a conductor 58 covered by insulation 60. The casing or sleeve 50 is recessed as at 62 from the opening 54 for the purpose of receiving the prongs 64 of a plug 66. The prongs 64 are provided with piercing members 68. The recesses 62 extend from one end of the casing or sleeve 50 into the easing block a distance suicient to permit the piercing members 68 to be located at a suicient distance from the end of the casing 50. The piercing members 68 must be positioned within the contines of the ring 52. This is done so that when the ring 59 is compressibly reduced in diameter, the piercing members 68 will be driven downwardly into the insulation 6G by the area of the sleeve member 50 confined within the ring member 52 and into contact engagement with the conductor 5S as illustrated in FIGURE 6.

The crimping operation of the structure illustrated in FIGURES 5 through 7 is identical with that previously described.

FIGURES 8 through 15 FIGURE 8 shows a further modification of the invention in which the conductor 70 comprises a bar rather than a coil as illustrated in FIGURES 1 through 4. The bar in cross section would resemble the cross sectional View of the piercing member 68 in FIGURE 5. A pair oi bars 70 are illustrated in FIGURE 8 and would be positioned within recesses 72 similar to the recesses 62 in FIGURE 5.

The connection between the wires '74 and '76 is made in the same manner as previously described. The rings 7'8 and St) compress the casing or sleeve 82 thereby forcing the conductors 7 tl into the insulation and into contact with the conductor of the wires 74 and 76 to make an electrical connection therebetween. It is advisable that the width of the ba-rs 7) be approximately the same width as the wires or leads 74 and 76 in order to maintain proper connection.

In FIGURES 9, l() and 11, the sleeve or casing is provided without the ilange 16 as previously described in FIGURE 1. The rings 92 and 94 operate in the same manner as previously described. The conductor 96 is U- shaped having prong or piercing members 98 at either end thereof. The piercing prongs 93 may have a series of serrations therein or may comprise a single piercing point.

Assembly of the device shown in FIGURES 9 through 11 In connecting leads 100 and 102 the conductor 96 is rst positioned part way linto the opening 104 of the sleeve 90. The wire lead 1051 is inserted part way into the opening 194 and beneath the tine or prong 9S. The sleeve 90 is then pushed to the left over the conductor 96 forcing the prong 98 downwardly into the lead or wire 160. FIGURE 10 illustrates the second stage of operation in which the sleeve is permitted to slide to the left far enough to permit the conductor 96 to project out the right side of the sleeve 90. The other lead or wire 102 is then inserted into the opening 104 beneath the prong 93. The sleeve is then slid to the right until the conductor 96 is centrally positioned within the sleeve 90 so that no portion of the conductor 96 projects outwardly from either end of the sleeve 90. The rings 92 and 94 are then deformed to reduce their diameter and to further reduce the diameter of the sleeve 90 in the areas of the rings 92 and 94 thereby to force the prongs 98 into the leads 100 and 102 so as to make electrical connection between the two leads. FIGURE 11 illustrates the last stage of the connection oper-ation prior to the crimping operation.

FIGURE 12 shows a crimping die 110 prior to applying a crimp to the ring 112 and the casing 114. The conductors 116 are positioned in recesses 118 so as to pierce the insulat-ion 120 of the wire 122, when the crimping dies are brought together. The nished product is illustrated in cross section in FIGURE 13 showing the piercing by the piercing members 116 of the insulation thereby engaging the conductor of the Wire 122.

FIGURES 14 and 15 illustrate a further embodiment in which an oval shaped casing or sleeve having an oval shaped ring 132 as illustrated in FIGURE 14 is upset and reduced to form circular members as illustrated in FIGURE 15. The wire piercing members 134 are forced into contact with the lead 136 as illustrated in FIGURE 15.

FIGURES 16, 17 and 18 FIGURES 16, 17 and 18 disclose a. further modification in which the casing or block 140 is generally rectangular and includes a plurality of openings 142 for receiving leads 144.

The ring member 146 is generally rectangular in configuration and includes wedging portions 148. Within slots 150 in the holes 142 are positioned connecting bars 152 having a plurality of serrations -as illustrated in FIGURE 16 and FIGURE 17. FIGURE 17 shows a pair of clamping dies 156 and 158 after the ring 146 has been clamped down on the block or casing 140. FIG- URE 17 shows how the tines on the conductors 152 are shown biting into the leads 154 so that electrical connections will be made between pairs of leads as best illustrated in FIGURE 18. The forcer wedges 148 tend to distribute the load so as to make a proper seal. In all instances, the tines of the conductors 152 are positioned so as to fall within the area encompassed by their rings 146. Plugs 159 are used to close the ends of bores 142.

FIGURES 19 through 21 In FIGURE 19, the casing 160 is slotted as at 162 to receive corrugated members 164. The corrugated mernbers 164 are similar to corrugated fasteners used in the building trade for joining two members together and extend lengthwise of the casing 160. When the ring 166 is reduced -in diameter, the corrugated conductors 164 pierce the insulation 168 and make contact with the wire 170 as previously described.

FIGURE shows a plurality of leads 180 positioned in radial fashion within the casing 182. The conductor bars 184 are positioned against a back up sleeve or tube 186. The back up sleeve or tube 186 is of non-conductive material or may be of metal covered with non-conductive material. The conductors 184 are positioned in slots radially of the back up sleeve 186 so that when the compressor ring 188 is reduced by compression, the leads or wires 180 are driven downwardly on the conductors 184 and thus connection is made as the insulation is pier-ced by the conductors 184.

In FIGURE 21 a somewhat similar arrangement is shown in which the back up member 190 is of rectangular conguration. The ring 192 operates on the casing or sleeve 194 to lforce the leads 196 onto the piercing members 198 and thus make electrical connection as heretofore described. The casing 194 is yrecessed and the back up member is positioned in an opening in the casing 194 as illustrated.

FIGURE 20 shows the back up member to be hollow. This permits insertion of an addit-ional lead which may be connected elsewhere while maintaining the other leads in proper space relation.

FIGURES 22 through 24 In FIGURES 22 through 24, the casing 200 is provided with an opening 202 which perm-its a pair of leads 204 and 206 to be positioned in side by side relationship. The opening 202 extends towards the back of the casing or block 200. Above the opening 202 is a slot 208 for receipt of a piercing member 210. The ring 212 when compressed forces the piercing member 210 into biting engagement with the leads 204 and 206 thus making connection across the leads. The piercing member 210 which is of conductive material, many have a forward portion 214 for ready insert if so desired.

The arrangement illustrated in FIGURES 22 through 24 permits connection from one end only. Thus, if a sealing compound is required to make an adequate seal, it need only be applied at one end of the casing 200.

In all of the modications illustrated, the piercing member must be located within the area of the compression ring in order that proper cutting and contact be made. .y

While this invention has been described in connection with different embodiments thereof, it will -be understood that -it is capable of further modification, and this application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention following, in general, the principles of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which the invention pertains, and as may be applied to the essential features Cil hereinbefore set forth and as fall within the scope of the invention or the limits of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. An electrical connector for connecting end means of wire means comprising a dielectric and deformable casing having an opening therein, deformable and compressible ring means of a harder material than said cas ing engaging said casing along at least a portion of an exterior surface thereof, an elongated corrugated strip connector having a cutting edge extending generally in the direction of the longitudinal axis of said casing, 'at least a portion of said strip connector being disposed under said ring means, said strip connector having its cutting edge directed toward said wire means for piercing said wire means to make electrical connection therebetween, said ring means when compressibly reduced in size reducing said casing the area of said ring means thereby driving said elongated corrugated strip connector into electrical engagement with said wire means.

2. An electrical connector for connecting end means of wire means comprising a dielectric and deformable casing, deformable and compressible ring means of a harder material than said casing engaging said casing along at least a portion of an exterior surface thereof, a back-up member having its longitudinal axis coincident with the longitudinal axis of said casing, a series of passageways in said casing radially disposed about said backup member, connector means disposed in each of said passageways having an outwardly facing cutting edge, means in said casing for receiving said wire means, and located between said connector means and said ring means and adjacent the cutting edges of said connector means, whereby, when said wire means is positioned in said casing, upon compressing and reducing the size of said ring means, said casing in the area of said ring means is reduced thereby driving said wire means into an electrical engagement with said connector means which has been immobilized by said backaup means.

3. An electrical connector for connecting end means of wire means comprising a dielectric and deformable casing having a plurality of substantially parallel passageways, deformable and co'mpressirble ring means of a harder material than said casing engaging said casing along at least a portion of an exterior surface thereof, forcer-wedge means on the inside surface of said ring means adjacent each of said passageways, connector means in each of said passageways for piercing said wire means, said ring means upon being compressibly reduced in size reducing said casing in the area of said ring means thereby driving said connector means into electrical engagement with said wire means and said forcer-wedge means distributing the compressive load of said casing around said wire means for effecting a seal.

4. A connector for electrically connecting the ends of two 4wires comprising a non-conductive deformable casing having a central portion and having a passageway for receiving at each end thereof one of said wires, a pair of individual non-connected spaced radially reducible and compressible rings of a harder material than said casing encircling the ends only of said casing so as to leave said central portion of said casing non-encircled, a connector means positioned lengthwise in said casing and having its overall length shorter than said casing and having end portions extending towards said wire for piercing said wire to make electrical connection therebetween, said connector means end portions positioned within the conk nes of their respective rings whereby when said rings are compressibly reduced radially in size, said casing in the area of said rings is reduced in size thereby driving said connector means end portions into engagement with said wires to electrically connect them.

S. A connector as in claim 4, and wherein said casing includes a plurality of spaced parallely passageways therein, and a pair of said wires for each passageway, and at least one connector means per passageway.

6. A connector as in claim 5 and wherein said casing is rectangular, and said passageways are arranged in ro-ws.

7. A connector as in claim 5 and wherein said passageways are arranged circularly in said casing.

8. An electrical connector as in claim 4, and including back-up means, said connector means positioned between said back-up means and said compressi'ble rings.

9. A connector as in claim 8 and wherein said backup-rnember is cylindrical.

10. A connector as in claim 4, and wherein said conhector means is an elongated corrugated strip.

11. A connector as in claim 4, and wherein said connector means is ilexible.

12. A connector as in claim 4, and wherein said rings include pressure distributing surfaces on the inside thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,933,555 11/1933 Jasper 174-87 2,534,881 12/1950 Schroeder 174-87 XR 2,316,267 4/ 1943 McLarn 174--84 2,729,695 1/195'6 Pierce 174-84 2,749,383 "6/ 1956 Pigman et al. 339-99 X 3,015,684 1/1962 Schneider 339-276 X 3,110,755 11/1963 Esser 174-87 3,137,925 6/1964 Wahl 174-87 X DARRELL L. CLAY, Primary Examiner. 

4. A CONNECTOR FOR ELECTRICALLY CONNECTING THE ENDS OF TWO WIRES COMPRISING A NON-CONDUCTIVE DEFORMABLE CASING HAVING A CENTRAL PORTION AND HAVING A PASSAGEWAY FOR RECEIVING AT EACH END THEREOF ONE OF SAID WIRES, A PAIR OF INDIVIDUAL NON-CONNECTED SPACED RADIALLY REDUCIBLE AND COMPRESSIBEL RINGS OF A HARDER MATERIAL THAN SAID CASING ENCIRCLING THE ENDS ONLY OF SAID CASING SO AS TO LEAVE SAID CENTRAL PORTION OF SAID CASING NON-ENCIRCLED, A CONNECTOR MEANS POSITIONED LENGTHWISE IN SAID CASING AND HAVING ITS OVERALL LENGTH SHORTER THAN SAID CASING AND HAVING END PORTIONS EXTENDING TOWARDS SAID WIRE FOR PIERCING SAID WIRE TO MAKE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION THEREBETWEEN, SAID CONNECTOR MEANS END PORTIONS POSITIONED WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THEIR RESPECTIVE RINGS WHEREBY WHEN SAID RINGS ARE COMPRESSIBLY REDUCED RADIALLY IN SIZE, SAID CASING IN THE AREA OF SAID RINGS IS REDUCED IN SIZE THEREBY DRIVING SAID CONNECTOR MEANS END PORTIONS INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID WIRES TO ELECTRICALLY CONNECT THEM. 